Kindle Oasis is dead: Amazon kills its only eReader with physical buttons

Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority

Yesterday, Amazon revealed its latest eReaders, featuring the first color Kindle and more. Notably, though, the company didn’t introduce a refreshed version of the Kindle Oasis, and it has now confirmed that it is discontinuing it altogether.

In a statement to The Verge, Amazon’s Devon Corvasce revealed: “Once current inventory of Kindle Oasis sells out online and in stores, we will not restock the device. Today, all of our devices are touch-forward which is what our customers are comfortable with.”

Amazon first launched the Kindle Oasis in 2016 as a flagship model, featuring added bulk on the side to make one-handed use more comfortable. More importantly, though, it was the company’s last model to offer physical page-turn buttons. With Amazon no longer producing the Oasis, future Kindle users will be limited to touch input.

The company claims its customers are more comfortable with touchscreen buttons, presumably based on usage data. This suggests that not a significant percentage of readers rely on physical buttons to flip e-book pages. Those who prefer actual buttons may still be able to claim a 2019 Kindle Oasis, as some third-party retailers may have some units in stock. Though, at the time of writing, Amazon is no longer selling it on its e-commerce platform.

While the latest Oasis model is already five years old, it still caters to today’s readers. The device boasts 8GB or 32GB of storage, a 7-inch display, an IPX8 rating, warm tone support, Bluetooth headset compatibility for audiobook playback, and much more. If interested, you must act fast, as Amazon has stopped supplying third-party resellers with new units.

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